Hegseth says the US has ‘flattened’ Iran’s defence industry and military capabilities

The United States has destroyed Iran’s defence industry and crippled its defensive capabilities all while using just a tenth of its combat power, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed on Wednesday.

The Pentagon chief also stressed that US forces are now monitoring Iran’s enriched uranium stocks closely and are ready to take them out of the country if necessary.

“They (Iran) can no longer build missiles, build rockets, build launchers, or build UAVs. Their factories have been flattened,” Hegseth said during a press briefing at the Pentagon, where he described Washington’s Operation Epic Fury as “a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield”, obtained “using less than 10% of America’s total combat power”.

Washington launched its military operation in coordination with Israel on 28 February, with a two-week ceasefire reached with Tehran on Tuesday evening to allow for more negotiations on a 10-point peace plan. It reportedly includes a commitment from Iran not to build nuclear weapons.

According to Hegseth, “Epic Fury decimated Iran’s military and rendered it combat ineffective for years.”

The US also asserted that it now controls Iranian airspace and that Tehran’s missile programme is “functionally destroyed,” with “launchers, production facilities, and existing stockpiles depleted and decimated and almost completely ineffective.”

Regarding nuclear materials, the defence secretary framed monitoring and control as a top priority.

“This agreement means that they will never ever possess a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth said. “Under the terms, any nuclear material they should not have will be removed. We’re watching it, we know what they have and where, and they will give it up, and we’ll get it, we’ll take it, if we have to, we can do it by any means necessary,” he added.

Speaking alongside Hegseth, General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Iranian Navy “now lies mostly at the bottom of the Arabian Gulf,” with more than 90% of its fleet sunk. He added that US and allied forces struck roughly 90% of Iran’s weapons factories, destroying drones, guidance systems and missile production capabilities.

“It will take years for Iran to rebuild,” Caine said.

More than 50,000 American personnel were deployed, 10,000 missions were carried out and more than 1,700 ballistic missiles and drones were intercepted, Cain added.

“We consumed more than six million meals, around 950,000 gallons of coffee, two million energy drinks, and plenty of nicotine along the way, not that I’m saying we have a problem,” General Caine quipped during the briefing.

He did not, however, elaborate on how many missiles the US used, as the actual numbers of missiles in the US inventory and deployment data are classified. But according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, 850 Tamahawk missiles – each estimated to cost about $3.6 million (€3.1 million) – were fired by the US in the first four weeks of the conflict, the highest number of any US campaign.

The US Navy, which is set to receive 110 Tomahawks this year, has requested $3 billion this week for the fiscal year 2027 to replenish its depleted stocks of the missile.

During his address, Hegseth also recognised Israel’s role in the operation, calling the country “a brave, capable and willing ally on this battlefield,” before lashing out at the inactivity of “our so-called allies.”

In an apparent reference to NATO allies, Hegseth added that “they should take some notes on our capabilities.” He did not name any of the allies in question, but Hegseth, like US President Donald Trump, has harshly criticised European NATO members for not providing more assistance for the country’s operations in the Middle East.

Hegseth’s latest remarks came a few hours ahead of a planned meeting between Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, scheduled for 15:30 local time (21:30 CET).

Asked whether the US Navy will escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, Hegseth referred to the initial agreement, saying that “Iran’s letting ships go through.”

The war and Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply transits, had pushed prices sharply higher.

Finally, Hegseth signalled a long-term commitment to enforcing the ceasefire.

“We’ll be hanging around, we’re not going anywhere, we’re gonna make sure Iran complies with the ceasefire and then ultimately comes to the table, makes a deal, so we’ll stay put, stay ready, stay vigilant,” he said.

“The Iranians are humiliated and demoralised, we control their fate, not the other way around, and that’s why they came to the table,” Hegseth concluded.

(at, cm)